A Fox in Cats' Pelt
by Sinbreaker
Summary: Across the ocean lay 5 independent Clans. Recovering from the 'Dark Days' of their past isn't easy. Especially when amidst of the revival of the clans grows a dark and unchecked force of ill intention and hunger. Memories will be made- Twisted memories. Ones that the clans are not likely to forget for moons to come. And it all started with a kind old heart... and a fox.
1. Eagle

**DayClan**

Oak and Maple trees that scatter in small groups around Twoleg harvesting land. Long stalks of wheat glow like gold in the summer time against the morning and evening rays. North-West of Nesting Tree.

 **Leader:** Yellowstar

 **Deputy:** Sunpelt

 **Medicine Cat:** Snowfeather

 **Queens:** Greypelt, Longwillow

 **Warriors:** Bramblefang, Badgerflank, Thornwhisker, Weasletail, SoftCloud, Swiftleg, Shadowleap, Spruceface, Duckcoat,

 **Apprentices:** Maplepaw, Dawnpaw, Brightpaw

 **Kits:** Acornkit

 **Elders:** None

 **NightClan**

Dense tangles and pine. Swamp land draws the border between them and Frostclan. Hallow trees and empty rabbit warrens litter the clan territory. Located North-East of Nesting Tree.

 **Leader:** Pigeonstar

 **Deputy:** Willowfern

 **Medicine Cat:** Halfberry

 **Queens:** Rowanflower, Nutwhisker

 **Warriors:** Mossypelt, Toadleap, RatRunner, Racoonfang, Brownfoot, Mudskip, Robinsong, Molepelt, Brackenstripe

 **Apprentices** : Cherrypaw

 **Kits:** StarlingKit, MothKit, LizardKit

 **Elders:** Foxfang, Appletail

 **Stoneclan**

Heart of clan located in rocky abandoned Twoleg digging site. Water is located at the bottom along with a sandy bank. Can territory smaller then the four core clans. Located South-West of Nesting Tree.

 **Leader:** BoulderStar

 **Deputy:** Rustspot

 **Medicine Cat:** SmallStep (Formally Neverclan)

 **Queens:** None

 **Warriors:** Branchleap, Shallowblossom, Acornfur, Leafstorm, Oakfang, Snakfefoot, Dustpool, Spidereye, Eagleclaw, CrackleStream, JaggedStep,

 **Apprentices:** Hawkpaw, Wolfpaw, Whitepaw

 **Kits:** None

 **Elders:** None

 **FrostClan**

Streams and marshy land cover this territory, leading out to sand dunes that break against a rocky shoreline. The amount of water in this area leaves the land frosted over in the fall and winter time. South-East of Nesting Tree.

 **Leader:** Dovestar

 **Deputy:** Rainlight

 **Medicine Cat:** Brindletouch

 **Queen:** Sandyleap

 **Warriors:** Brooktail, Driftleaf, Troutspot, Beechstripe, Nimblesky, Silverear, Ashentail, Spiderpuddle, Seedface, Hailpatch

 **Apprentices:** Wetpaw, Flowerpaw

 **Kits:** Pebblekit, Ripplekit, Dewkit, Greykit

 **Elders** : Frostpelt

 **Never-Clan**

Not an original core clan. Only became accepted after the "Dark Days". Clan is made up of decedents of loners and kittypets, and others. Located between DayClan and StoneClan, having a stretch of territory that leads up to Nesting Tree. Clan resides in abandoned scrap-yard. Name stems from the old insult "You will never be a clan".

 **Leader:** Doublestar

 **Deputy** : Copperfang

 **Medicine Cat:** SmokePath

 **Queen:** Featherbreeze,

 **Warriors:** Smogfang, Threeleg, Cloverfur, Patchpelt, Boarface, Whistlesong, Ivytree, Ebonyeyes, Cinderspot, Curveback, Smallstock

 **Apprentices** : Tornpaw, Nettlepaw

 **Kits** : Redkit, Waspkit

 **Elders:** Wrongjaw,

Other

Campion - **Fox**

Queenie - **Loner**

 **\- Chapter 1 -**

" _Things will get worse before they get better."_

Mewing. Her brother's loud mewing called her from outside the the moss pit. She knew all too well what game he was playing. Ripplekit would be the bait, and Pebblekit would be awaiting to pounce. She'd seen them pull the same stunt with her sister Snowkit. With a swift bound, she reached the other end of the nursery, and slipped behind the tall prickly stems combed through her curly short fur, rattling the stalks.

Greykit padded over the uproots of the reeds circling around to the front of the nursery. As she drew closer, she slowed down and lifted her head up. Her ears perked, listening for her brother. Ripplekit still continued to meow, now becoming annoyed at how long she was taking.

Around the corner of the reeds she could see Pebblekit crouched and peeking over a rounded stone. Ripplekit below, curled up in a tiny ball. Dewkit was nowhere around them. Greykit took no hesitation scampering across the damp ground and leaping up onto the rock. Pebblekit only had a second to turn before he was met with a flailing paws of his sister's surprise attack. He squeaked and tumbled backwards landing on Ripplekit.

Greykit just managed to find a groove to catch her small claws on and keep herself from following her brother.

"Hey!?" Pebblekit yelled, rolling off the flattened Ripplekit. Pebblekit was easily the biggest of the litter, his brown fur outlined him nicely and complimented his amber eyes that currently shined with annoyance and anger. Ripplekit on the other hand, was the smallest of the litter. His brown and tan pet was now covered in dirt and mud from being pressed into the ground by his brother's weight.

"Ha! Got you!" Greykit called, sitting up on the rock. She puffed her chest proudly. Looking past her brothers she caught the amber gaze of a sandy colored queen. Greykit beamed with pride and called out "Did you see me mother? Did you?"

Sandyleap laughed at her young daughter and smiled back. "I did, you gave your brother quite a surprise." Pebblekit stamped the ground with his paw and puffed his fur out at the remark. He turned to his sister and stuck out his tongue. Greykit returned the gesture.

"You two play nice." Their mother warned. She then tossed her gaze to the mossy nest and back to the group.

"Where is Dewkit?" She asked. Greykit shrugged and leaped down next to Ripplekit who swatted at his sister playfully, only managing to bat her eat. She ducked down, laughing before leaping upon him. Pebblekit gave his shoulder fur a quick lick before looking up.

"I think she said something about seeing Brindle….Brindle…"

"Brindletouch. Stay here you three." His mother finished for him. She stood, her tail in the air and began a light trot across the center of the clan towards the low hanging willow tree.

Greykit only watched her mother a moment before leaping at her brother Pebblekit. He turned, yelling and grabbing her shoulders pulling her down with him. They rolled over in a little ball of fur and calls, tumbling away from the mossy entrance and into the reeds.

The duo splashed into a puddle and separate. Greykit splashes back water at her brother, before turning. In that instance, a flicker catchers her attention. The water turned grey for just a moment, the light being blocked. Her nose twitched as she bounded to the spot where the water flickered.

"Did you see that?" She called. Pebblekit flicked water off his back legs before quickly joining his sister's side.

"No, what is it?" he asked. He reached her side and looked down into the puddle of water, only seeing their reflection look back at them. Greykit's amber eyes outlined the puddle and searched every inch of it for the thing that made the water change. Her nose wrinkled in annoyance and she huffed.

"I saw something- it changed the water!" she yelled. Pebblekit's ears flicked, and with a gentle poke he touched the water surface, sending it rippling.

"You sure it wasn't a toad?" He asked, glancing at his sister. Greykit shook her head no.

In that instant, the water flickered again. Both kit's eyes darted to the ground quick enough to see a large shadow to briefly cover the pool of water.

"I saw it!"

"I told you!"

The kits in union splashed at the water, trying to retrieve the dark mass.

"EAGLE!"

A voice screamed from inside the camp. The kits froze and spun, looking back through the reeds to see the mass of petals and colors scurry across the area. Pebblekit flattened himself into the puddle curling tightly, startled from the commotion. Greykit sat beside him, her ears perked and eyes wide.

 _Eagle? What is an Eagle?_

"Get the kits!" Greykit heard her mother yell, followed by "Where are my kits? Someone help!"

Pebblekit suddenly with a burst of courage took off running through the reeds and back towards the mossy den. He kicked up water and mud as he ran, mewing and calling for his mother. Greykit shook herself, building up her own courage and followed her brother. She still didn't know what an Eagle was. Was it the dark thing that changed the water?

Sandyleap raced quickly into the den, Dewkit hanging from her mouth. Two cats followed her, Brooktail and Troutspot; their fur puffed out and flanking the queen. "I curse StoneClan for chasing that thing our way- it's been nothing but trouble!" Troutspot hissed. He guided the queen into the nursery and then turned on heel, claws out and ready. Brooktail joined him in guard.

Ripplekit scurried after his mother, calling for her between squeaks. Greykit followed her brother, getting closer to the den entrance. Pebblekit practically tripping over his paws to get back to the cover of his mother.

The dark cover came over Greykit and her brother, changing the ground as she ran. It followed, it darkened. She looked down in surprise and horror at it as it grew in size- and with a earsplitting screech she looked up.

Pebblekit at the sound of the screech tripped over himself and tumbled into the cover of reed roots and thick gooey mud.

Greykit screeched as a sharp pain entered her side- and in a moment the ground was gone from underneath her. She flailed her arms and legs; screeching as the ground became farther and farther away from her touch. The reeds blurred into a continuous streak of green. Her mother's scream echoed behind the beating of massive feathered wings. Cries of her clan molded into one.

Pebblekit tumbled out from the roots just in time to see his sister disappear over the willow tree horizon line.

And just like that, in a single moment, she was gone.


	2. Saviors

_"Things will get worse before they get better. That's what I've come to known."_

The great bird landed on the hard thunderpath, pushing the still alive kit down into the hot surface. Greykit felt the weight of the bird and the heat of the earth force her air out of her lungs. Her flank felt like it was on fire. She gasped, and flailed her only free paw. The bird looked to it's left, scanning the area. Then looked back to it's prize.

Greykit felt herself briefly be lifted up, before she was thrown back against the ground. Her head smacked against the pavement- causing her to wail. Her head ached like the sun was burning inside her skull- such a pain a kit should never know. She cried out, wailing as the bird began to peck at her soft pelt.

"Ey!"

Greykit heard a voice yap out- though with her head pounding and thoughts spinning. She opened her eyes to look- only to see the yellow-tan beak pull at her shoulder skin. She cried out, closed her eyes, but lay still. Paralyzed in fear.

"Ey! Begone with 'yah!" The yappy voice cried out again, and Greykit felt the enormous weight of the monstrous bird be rolled off of her- and subsequently she was flung to the side, landing somewhere else on the thunderpath, skidding against the hot ground.

The world was a moving blur, her colors melted into one and sounds overlapped each other. There was yapping- barking? There were the cries of the monstrous bird. Greykit echoed out her own cries, calling to her clan. Her mother.

 _What's going on?_

A rush of wind went overhead, only to circle back. Greykit felt the sharp talons enter her lower flank once again- but before she could be lifted off the ground she heard the thunderous padding of pads against the surface. Another bark- a snapping of jaws. She felt spittle land on her face.

"Go on- get!" The voice yapped. A shadow loomed over her- but not in a threatening. Something covered her, she could feel soft fur just barely brushing against her head.

 _Someone came to save me! A Warrior came to bring me home!_

Greykit tried to lift her head, her eyes looking up only to have the sun eclipse her view. She closed them, and lowered her head.

"Ah' cursed bird. Nothin' but trouble around these parts." She head the voice speak. There was a moment of silence, before she felt a cold wet nose pressed up against her hurting shoulder. Strong sniffs and puffs of air went over her, as her savior inspected her. She mewed quietly in response.

With hesitation, she could feel teeth lightly bite into her shoulders and scruff. Greykit cried out- her shoulder still burning where the bird had torn open her skin. The teeth let go, then moved down to her lower flank. She felt herself being lifted up by her lower end- causing her to dangle face down to the ground. She swung lightly as the carrier began a light trot off the thunderpath and into the tall weeds.

The trot shook her lightly, making her headache even worse. A ringing was beginning in her left ear- which she was almost certain blood was dripping out of. She whimpered and decided it would be best to keep her eyes closed.

The carrier continued his trot, his head held just high enough to have the kit avoid being hit by rocks and twigs on the ground below. He would pause every so often, scanning the area. Then he would turn.

The patchy small fields gave away to to a hard ground slope, which dipped down to a small creek. Any animal would tell you it didn't smell quite right. The carrier stepped carefully into the muddy water, and crossed into the tall brush. Another quick trot, and the long weeds gave away to finely cut grass. Small but long Twoleg homes scattered across the cut field. Light puffs of smoke and steam came out the top, sounds of Twoleg monsters arrived and left- busy with their own intentions.

The carrier avoided the thunderpath circles and stretches, keeping to the cut grass. With a quick pace, he padded up to one of the Twoleg homes. A cover had been pulled back, revealing the home was elevated on stands. Most of the area was walled off by this light fence- the exception of this one opening.

The carrier slipped inside, and padded quickly over the soft and hard mixture of earth. The kit still dangling from his jaws. He reached the far corner where a collection of twigs, moss, and Twoleg trash scraps had formed together. Light beamed in through a small hole, illuminating the area just enough.

From the pile of bedding, a pair of glassy faded lime green eyes examined the duo as they arrived. Ears perked, the cat to whom the glassy eyes belonged too gave a quick look to her companion and the scrap he carried.

"And just what have you brought?" She asked, her voice raspy and quiet. Greykit's ears perked at the familiar tones of her kind. She didn't dare open her eyes to see where she was though, she knew it would do nothing besides cause more pain inside her head.

The carrier set her down gently on some sort of soft Twoleg item. He then lifted his head to speak "Not dinner' ah am afraid."

The old cat looked down at the broken bundle of fur and scrap before her paws. Her nose twitched, she licked the air. With a motion of her tail, she commanded the carrier to bring the kit closer.

Greykit felt herself lifted once again by her flank, only to be set next to something warm and soft. She inhaled, catching a strange yet familiar sent. The familiar part was that this was indeed a cat. The strange smell came from her identity. She didn't know this cat. She smelled of earth, of stale Twoleg touch (she didn't have a name for this yet- though she could smell it all around her) and something sickly sweet. It coated the breath of this cat. She could feel it wafer over her as the cat leaned in close to smell.

Suddenly the old cat snapped, biting down on the kit's neck. Greykit squeaked, and in what little effort she could managed, batted at the old cat's face. Her lame shoulder was useless, but with her good arm she swatted. Her tiny claws only brushing through long cheek fur. Greykit bucked her back legs, kicking up stones and dirt.

The old cat held, unfazed by the the useless thrashing of the small being in her jaws. She watched the kit- who was obviously tired still swat on. At this rate, she would pass out from exhaustion. The old cat looked up, making eye contact with her companion who sat some tail lengths away. His amber eyes fixated on the squealing ball of messy fur. After a moment, he pulled his gaze up to look at the old she-cat. A gaze was held against them for what seemed like minutes. All the while, Greykit's flailing becoming less forceful. She struggled to breathe properly. Her back legs stopped bucking, and instead gripped the earth beneath her.

Greykit felt the old cat force her down with her paw, and then drew her close. A the pressure from the jaws was gone in an instant- and replaced with a warm tongue. It drew over Greykit's head, smoothing down her long tangled fur. A gentle hum- a light rattled purr filled Greykit's ears. A calming purr.

Greykit finally collapsed entirely under the large paws of her attacker- or her comforter. She couldn't tell at this point. The world was receding. Her mind was drifting away to sleep. The old she-cat's fluffy warm fur covered Greykit's throbbing flank on her right- and the tail of the she-cat coiled around to cover her left.

And with warmth- and the gentle rubbing of a tongue against her head, she was lost to the darkness of sleep.


	3. Pallas and Todd

_Things will get worse before they get better. That's what I have come to known. It's not always easy to understand why the bad things happen to begin with, though._

Greykit opened her eyes at the sounds of something heavy moving above her. Her eyes narrowed, darting side to side. She expected to see Pebblekit laying half over their brother, who would still be deep in sleep despite being slept on. Dewkit would have climbed up onto her mother's flank, snoring slightly.

Instead there was unfamiliar grey and brown fur around her. The area was dark and slightly damp, a strange smell filled her nose and mouth.

Greykit lifted her head- and in that moment felt a hard pounding in her left ear. She winced, mewing slightly at the discomfort. Her soft cries awoke the sleeping giant next to the kit. The old she-cat raised her head and looked down at the kitten. She yawned.

"Calm yourself young one." she spoke, leaning down to lick the kit's head. She pulled back after a moment, and began washing her own paw. Greykit looked up, finally able to see who had spared her.

The she-cat was large- larger than her mother. Most of her size though seemed to come from her large fluffy fur. Her body was rounded- the top of her head flat and her ears almost pointed at the wrong angle. Almost as if they were lying flat in anger- but her expression and body language did not read as such.

"Are you a warrior?" Greykit fumbled out her words. Her voice was quiet- and only now did she realize how sore her throat had become. The old she-cat paused in licking her paw. She blinked and echoed "Warrior?"

"Those groups of domestic livin' ones in the forest n' such. The clans- if ah recall correctly." A voice emitted from behind the old she-cat. Greykit looked up, seeing over the brown and grey fur a larger mass of auburn red puff. It moved, twisting around. A pair of ears perked, and a face peered over the old she-cat. Yellow-amber eyes blinked, looking back at the kit.

Before Greykit sat the largest cat she'd ever seen. It easily towered over the large elder- and yet it was not standing. It's pelt colors were unique in such a way that Greykit could not help but stare. Sure she had seen different colored pelts before- Ripplekit had a two toned pelt as well as her mother. But she had never seen red turn to white so suddenly. The white underbelly traveled to the cheeks and jaw of the cat where it met the red auburn color. Black markings outlined the eyes and traveled down the muzzle- and complimented the ears in the same way.

"Uh...y-yeah." Greykit responded, still staring down at the large pair of cats before her. The big cat seemed to smirk at her reaction, and snickered.

"Ah lass, you've nevah seen ah todd before, have yah?" he asked. His long and fluffy tail flicked, laying over the flank of the she-cat. It was bushy, red on the top and darkened on the bottom- ending in that same pure white.

"A what?" Greykit asked, her head tilted to the side. She quickly regretted her movement as her vision spun, and she toppled over on her side. She landed on her lame shoulder- causing a numbing pain. She squeaked and looked- seeing the once pulsating wound now covered in cobwebs and some sort of sticky substance.

"Sap." The old she-cat answered her, before she had a chance to ask. She licked her paw, and drew it over her ear.

The larger of the two seemed to be oblivious to the change in conversation, and stepped over the old she-cat. His legs and paws surprisingly black like his ears. Greykit forced her attention away from her shoulder to the large… 'todd' that stood before her.

"Aye, I'm ah todd." He spoke. His tail brushed up some dust as he moved around the kit.

"A male fox." the she-cat added, still preoccupied in grooming herself. The fox nodded, and moved to sit next to the kit.

"Todd indeed. Ah but- mah name be Campion."

"Campion?" Greykit echoed. _What a funny name._

"Campion. Champion of the Forest." He answered proudly, puffing his chest slightly. Greykit blinked in amazement at the new information given to her.

"An' that there be Queenie." He pointed with his tail to the old she-cat. Queenie paused in her licking, and looked up.

"A Twoleg given name." she answered before a question could be asked. She sniffed, setting her paws back down.

"A pallas would never adopt such a name on their own." She followed up, turning to lick her shoulder again. Greykit nodded, as if she understood.

"An, what might your name be lass?" Campion asked, his head tilted as he leaned down to get closer to her eye level.

"Greykit." she answered. Queenie suddenly bellowed out a laugh. It was raspy, but loud.

"Greykit?" She echoed. Her tail swished through the dirt. She snorted, inhaling and exhaling to calm. "Stating the obvious is your name?"

Greykit puffed up her chest, and leaped to her paws. She wanted to yell back but only a surprised yowl escaped her jaws as her lame shoulder refused to hold her wait. She turned, twisting on her paws in a circle. The ringing and pounding in her ear only made her head turn in the way she spun, causing her to twist even more in a tight circle. Before she knew it, she tripped over her own paws.

The todd laughed, a high pitched snicker that almost sounded like yipping. Queenie's laughed echoed the yipping.

"Aye, perhaps yah should be renamed twister, yah lookin' like one with all yah spinnin'" Campion laughed.

"It wouldn't be a horrible idea to adopt a new name." Queenie stated, calming down from her laughs. She leaned, shifting her weight off her paws and onto her side. "The Twoleg place cats- nesting cats and loners alike won't take kindly to know one of the "Clan" cats have moved into the territory."

Greykit stopped her spinning- finally. She fell down on her belly, legs sprawled out. She huffed, already exhausted. She looked up at the two, and replied back "Well, that's okay. I'll just go home."

The dup cast a glance to one another. Campion stood, and retreated back behind Queenie, laying down once more. Queenie looked to the side, not focused on much before looking back.

"And how do you plan to return home? Do you know where your….Clan.. is? Can you walk there?"

Greykit was about to speak, yet she found herself with no answer. She could hardly stand, let alone walk. She had no idea where she was, where she had gone. And where home was at.

"An don't go askin' me to take yah home now." Campion spoke up. He folded his paws over each other, and laid his head down. He seemed almost to be smirking, but with his long muzzle Greykit could not tell.

"Why not?" Greykit called, worry and panic filling her voice. The fox's eyes shifted, avoiding a connecting gaze.

"Ah already risked life an' limb to save yah hide from that cursed bird. Ah ain't gonna get torn up by them domestic-wild cats." he yipped out.

Greykit's worried and pleading eyes shifted from the fox to the old she-cat. Queenie held her gaze, and sighed out lightly.

"I would if I could, young one." Her voice had taken a softer tone. Her ears flicked, and she tilted her head up a bit, seeming to fade into her thoughts.

"I'm reaching my seventeenth leaf-cycle. I can hardly walk to make dirt- I can't take you anywhere beyond the coverage of this Twoleg nest."

Greykit's heart sank to the pit of her stomach. A pain rumbled through her, wracking her sore body. A emotional and hunger pain. She whimpered, covering her eyes. _Her home, her family, her clan…_

"Aye… no tears now lass." Campion spoke out gently. He avoided looking down at the kit, shifting uncomfortably on his paws. He licked his jaws, yawning before he stood.

"We can continue this conversation after Campion finds us something to eat." Queenie chimed in, her ears twitching.

Campion raised his head, nodding quickly. He stood, only to get low to the ground as he leaped across the earth to the exit at the other side of the cover. He stopped by the entrance, looking back at Queenie.

"An' what am ah bringin' home today, Queenie?" he asked, his eyes strangely fixated on Greykit. She looked over his shoulder, matching his stare. His eyes seemed sturn, unlike his personality. Something bothered him, she thought.

Queenie, her voice matching his serious gaze spoke back "Whatever you can find that won't raise alarm." She paused, looking down at Greykit and then back up.

"And not another mouth to feed."


	4. Eggs

_"Things will get worse before they get better. That's what I have come to known. It's not always easy to understand why the bad things happen to begin with, though. Some are fortunate to figure it out early on in their life."_

Greykit wasn't sure how much time passed, but she could see the beam of light through the fence drift in and move, slowly over the ground as the sun began its travels over the sky. Greykit licked her dry mouth, smacking her tongue against the roof and her teeth.

Queenie shuffled her paws under her weight and moved her tail. She looked to the young kit then to the entrance.

"Campion should be back soon. He usually doesn't take this long to find something to have us snack on." She paused, seeming to get lost in her own thoughts.

"He's most likely looking for something that will suit you better than our usual meals. Something easy on your stomach… how old are you, by the way?"

Greykit looked up at the old she-cat.

"I'm one moon." Greykit answered, nodding to approve her own reply. Queenie shifted on her paws once again in slight discomfort, now laying on her flank again.

"Old enough for solid food then."

As soon as Queenie spoke, a shadow fell over the entrance as the todd returned with his catch. He hobbled in. Not in pain, but in an awkward attempt to drag a dead field mice across the dirt with his paw. His jaws held a smooth white object that Greykit had not seen before.

As Campion drew closer, she could catch the scent of unfamiliar places, of unfamiliar animals on his fur. A alluring smell came from his breath, and Greykit could make out yellow stains on his muzzle. The fox finally made his way over to them, and stopped. He nudged the mouse which was now coated in a thin layer of dust towards the elder.

Queenie took no hesitation to take it. She rolled it in front of her paws, secured her grip and began to feast on the dead rodent. Greykit watched, her eyes gleaming. She'd never tasted mouse before. She's played with it, on the other hand. Though she had been scolded by her mother for doing so, before the Queen had taken it back to the pile of fresh kill.

Campion set the white object down next to Greykit, which swiftly called her attention away from the mouse. She looked down at it.

 _Am I supposed to eat this?_

"Ey, here lass let me get that for yah" Campion said as he leaned down. Again the object went into his jaws but only breifly. The fox bit down, causing the outside to shatter. Greykit jumped slightly as a white liquid spilled out onto the ground. The todd recoiled, licking his lips and teeth.

"Tall Hunter didn' see see me commin'." He barked, happily. Obviously proud of himself. He licked his jaws once more, smacking them.

"Helped myself to the whole lot."

Greykit blinked, before looking down again at the yellow liquid. It was rolling down the slight slope to her paws. She leaned down, sniffing it. The same sweet alluring smell came from it. Very hesitantly, she licked, lapping up the sun colored water.

It was surprisingly warm. And delicious.

Greykit lapped it up eagerly. It wasn't quite as good as her mother's milk, but it was warm and easy to eat. She couldn't complain.

"Ey, tomorrow I can take yah to the Tall Hunter's farm, we'll help ourselves to the next nest. But no killin' the fowl, not if yah wanna keep ahold of yah hide." Campion laid down besides Greykit's meal. He eyed it hungrily, but restrained himself from taking the kit's food.

Greykit nodded, as if she understood what words like "Tall Hunter", "Farm" and "Fowl" meant. She didn't think to hard about it, as she was sure she would find out tomorrow.

...

Greykit felt herself being shaken. She blinked her eyes open quickly, and pulled her face away from the patch of fur she slept against. Queenie remained deep in her slumber. The world was dark, and slightly crisp. It must have been early.

"C'mon now. Gotta get up before the sun awakes." she heard the todd whisper. He moved impatiently around the pair, padding lightly. His ears were perked, as if he was already listening for the sounds of the world.

Greykit yawned, blinking her tired eyes several times to keep them open. She stretched her front legs- her lame shoulder still stiff as ever. She stood, carefully. Her leg wobbled, but held her weight.

Campion paced in front of her, looking the small kit over to determine her condition. After a quick moment of thought, he stepped forward, then pressed his belly to the ground, presenting his back to her.

"Aye, get on. No use of yah if you take all mornin' to get to the farm." He barked out quietly, careful not to wake the elder. Greykit nodded, and did as she was told. Climbing up onto the fox's back was surprisingly more difficult than she intended it to be. His fur was not soft as the cats she had come to known, it was harder, didn't tangle in her claws well. But perhaps, just enough to let her hang on without dangling off.

Campion stood halfway up carefully, keeping himself low to the ground so Greykit would not get scraped off by the roof above them. He quickly scaled across the ground to the exit, and slipped through to the open air.

For the first time, Greykit got a look at her surroundings. Twoleg nest- some with fences, other's with open land, littered the area. Though, there was something… underwhelming about the area. A calming feeling.

"Are there a lot of Twolegs here?" she asked quietly, as Campion began his trot, following a fence line.

"Aye. But the Tall Hunters here don't do much." he whispered, pausing to look around at his surroundings before he continued forward. "Ah think the lot ah elders." He quickly crossed a small thunderpath. No sounds of monsters came from either side as the fox slipped over the hard surface and back into the grass.

"The farm is just'a skip away." Campion spoke, quietly yipped out. His trot slowed down as the duo moved closer to the tallest Twoleg nest Greykit had ever seen. To be fair, she had only seen a handful- but this one stuck out like a sore paw.

Campion ducked behind a still monster, dust and cobwebs hung off of it's black foul smelling paws. Greykit concluded it was dead. Campion paid no mind to it. He stayed within the shadows of it, casted by the last remaining star light.

"Now listen lass, when we go in yah do exactly as I say, aye?" Campion asked, keeping low to the ground as he slid towards the big red Twoleg nest. Greykit nodded, before verbally answering with a "yes".

"All them eggs ripe for the takin'." The fox snickered, recomposed himself, then added "Good for yah', help yah heal yah lousy shoulder right up."

Campion looked back forward, and darted away from the red Twoleg nest and over to a much smaller, thinner construction. Greykit sniffed the air- the smell of many alive things hit her nose instantly. Soft sounds came from inside.

The fox slid under the building, which was lifted up by support beams, much like where they had been resting.

"Ey, off mah shoulder with yah." He whispered, practically dumping the kit onto the ground. Greykit mewed in surprise- only to quickly cover her mouth with her own paw. A few clicking sounds- as she would describe them, increased in response to her mew.

The todd didn't seem to care. He sniffed at the wood above them, carefully selecting and outlined section. He pressed his nose against it, before moving to another board. When one squeaked at his gentle press, his tail flicked excitedly. He turned, pushing his shoulders up against the board and lifted himself up. The board put up little of a fight, before it moved, and opened up a hole into the structure.

Campion turned, quickly picking up Greykit by the scruff and lifting her up into the dark and warm- and smelly room. Greykit wrinkled her nose as she smelt an overwhelming amount of these animals.

Campion lifted himself in, setting Greykit down on the floor.

"Now, listen carefully, lass." he whispered lowly. Greykit perked her ears, and looked to her new found mentor.

"These be fowl." He spoke, pointing his muzzle to sleeping birds. They breathed gently, and ruffled their feathers slightly. Some were awake, yet calm at the sight of the pair.

"Is this where you got the..thing.. From yesterday?" Greykit whispered back, her tail twitching a bit in excitement.

"Aye, the egg."

"Is there more?" She asked, her eyes widening in hope. Campion nodded. He turned, but stopped to point at her with his paw.

"Stay put." he commanded, before turning fully. He padded across the room lightly on his paws, and up to a ramp. Carefully he climbed, reaching to the first shelf of these sleeping birds. The fox licked his lips, eyeing the neck of a hen. Though, against his hunger, he shook his head lightly and forced himself back on the task. Locating the perfect nest to pillage.

Greykit watched with curiosity as her fox companion slipped so gracefully around the sleeping birds. Careful not to startle any. It was almost as if he was a ghost, his existence unnoticed.

The young kit was so preoccupied with her new mentor that she failed to hear the approaching footfalls. Within a moment, the room flooded with early morning light, the door had been opened. Greykit spun around, her tail tucked between her legs. For a moment she held her ground before her shoulder gave way, and she twisted around, toppling over her own paws.

A tall Twloeg stood in the entrance, holding a long and silver object in his left paw- his arrival awoke all of the fowl which preceded to click, cluck and screech. They flapped their wings, feathers fell from the air.

Greykit's left ear began to ring again, the pounding in her head returning. Among the noise of the birds, she swore she could her a familiar sound. A yowl, a cry from a cat. She spun around to look, away from the Twoleg. She toppled over her bad leg, and looked around wildly for the source of the voice. The sounds, the blur, the feathers. The change in light. The sounds, the screams. Screams that penetrated her ears, screeching like that of the Eagle.

 _It's- its too much! I-I can't..!_

The Twoleg reached down with his empty paw to grab her scruff. Greykit let aloud a startled scream as she felt the strange clawless paws wrap around her scruff and lift her off the ground. She flailed her legs helplessly.

Suddenly she was dropped, the Twoleg yelled in surprise. Campion launched himself off the shelf and onto the Twoleg's mid section, snapping like a wild untamed creature. He bit at the hip, barking and screeching. The Twoleg swung his metal stick, knocking the todd off.

"Aye! Run yah little twister!" Campion commanded, ducking to the side. He snapped at the Twoleg's heel, before darting around in a circle.

Greykit stumbled over herself, still losing sight of her direction. She leaped forward, pain shooting through her shoulder. She expected to land on the ground, but let ot a startled squeak as she fell through the opening Campion had created earlier. She tumbled in the dirt, before scrambling up. She darted out, tripping over herself. Her head pounded at equal pace with her fast beating heart. Her shoulder felt like it was burning, aching. She meowed- she cried and called to no one as she darted towards the dead monster.

 _BANG_

Greykit screamed, the loud noise echoed throughout the land. Flocks of birds, equally startled took to the skies, crying out an alarm. Greykit tumbled and collapsed into a shaking and shivering pile beside the monster's black paws. Her tail coiled over her eyes. She wheezed, struggling to gain composure and take in the situation.

A sudden shuffle of paws, and Greykit was lifted up by her scruff. She went stiff, paralyzed with fear. A drop of blood landed on her head, sliding down her nose. She fearfully looked up.

Campion held her by her scruff, his fur out in all directions, puffed. His right ear had a new perfectly formed hole in it, in which blood leaked from.

"Cursed Tall Hunters. Them an' their thunder sticks." He hissed under his breath. And with that, the red fox quickly took off, running back to the Twoleg nest. Their quest for an early morning snack failed, leaving them both shaken and hungry.


	5. Beyond StarClan

_"Things will get worse before they get better. That's what I have come to known. It's not always easy to understand why the bad things happen to begin with, though. Some are fortunate to figure it out early on in their life. For me, I didn't realize it until I returned to the Clans."_

It was sun-high. Yet despite this, Greykit lay asleep, bundled up closely to Queenie's side. The old she-cat hadn't stopped grooming the kit since they returned from the egg failure. Beside them, Campion lay. His tail flicked back and forth, lightly grazing the elder's side.

"So what compelled you to take a moon-old kit to farmer's land?" Queenie questioned, quietly. Her voice had a slight annoyed tone, but she knew her chastising would fall on deaf ears if she pushed to hard.

The fox shrugged in response, turning his head to the beam of light. He avoided looking at her gaze. The old she-cat sighed, and leaned up. Gently licking the wound, tasting the solidifying blood around the opening. The old cat paused, sniffing and looking back to her left flank, where the tiny bundle slept.

"Maybe your sharp wits left you for a moment." she paused, licking her own paw and drawing it over her cheek. "Or perhaps… You had something else on your mind? Other than the possible reward… could it be, the same reason as to why you saved a half-dead kit in the first place?"

Campion's eyes narrowed.

"Spur of the moment, ah guess." He finally spoke. He turned to match the gaze of his old friend. His nose twitched, whiskers too.

"Ah ain't gonna be around forever."

"Neither will I."

The old she-cat's response seemed to cut deep into her clever friend. He looked away again, back to the beam of light. His eyes fixated on a thought. His tail stopped twitching and lay still over the she-cat's side.

"So she's a replacement then- or you want her to be." Queenie spoke. She stopped washing her face and fell still.

"But if that's what you intend, then your thick in the skull." She suddenly spat- still quietly. Careful not to wake Greykit from her slumber. She sniffed, and then huffed.

"She may be a tough scrap of fur, but if she's adopted any of her "clan" values then she'll want to run back to them."

"Maybe not." Campion interjected. He turned over on his side now, to face the she-cat. His eyes glowed in the dim light.

"She ain't goin' no where n' no time soon. Little twister lass might come to like it here with us. She don't even know her way home. Nor can she walk farther then a jump an' a skip." he paused, taking in a breath and fixing his thoughts carefully.

"It'll take ah bit o' work. But the three of us- my wits, your teaching an' a fresh young set of fangs n' paws… why.. Shoot. We'd be set." The fox ended up smirking, his tail waving side to side again.

"And what are you going to when winter rolls around… and…we fall back on our...behaviors.." she trailed off. Her voice taking a hushed tone. Campion's smile faded, he stopped twitching his tail. He leaned his muzzle over the body of Queenie, sniffing the kit's side. He used his paw to pull back the old pallas' tangled fur so he could look the kit over.

"She'll learn. Teach her ways of mah martyr.. An' maybe, if ah am so lucky… she'll forget she's ah cat.. And not ah fox."

...

A quarter moon had come and gone. All the while, Greykit's shoulder had slowly recovered. Though the ringing she sometimes felt in her head would come and go at unpredicted times.

It was past Sun-High, but not quite Sun-Down. Greykit sat in front of Queenie, who groomed the kit. At this point, it was a common routine. Since Queenie had little to do, the mindless task of cleaning had become her favorite past-time. Her own fur was long and matted beyond repair.

Campion paced near the entrance. He would pass, looking out before walking again. He seemed to be lost in thought.

"What is he doing?" Greykit finally asked her groomer. Queenie paused in mid lick, glancing over at the fox before continuing her stroke.

"It's a No-Moon tonight. Foxes usually do some sort of practice to their ancestors at this time."

"Like the gathering!" Greykit mewed excitedly.

"The what?" Campion asked, pausing in his pacing. Greykit couldn't help but slightly shake from excitement.

"The five clans… they gather at this one place. I don't remember what Mother called it- but they meet every full moon! They talk with each other, share stories, and sometimes… our Medicine cats leave to talk together and to StarClan!"

"They gather to talk to one specific clan?" Queenie asked. She had forgotten her cleaning routine, now interested in what Greykit had to say.

Greykit shook her head no, laughing. She pointed with her tail to the sky- or rather the bottom of the Twoleg home, and said "StarClan isn't a real clan. It's the stars in the sky. Mother says all our clanmates will become stars one day- but only after the serve the clan."

"Ah." was the only response from the old she-cat. She padded her paw against her own ear, giving it a light scratch. "So it's like the Great Pallas."

"Or mah martyr." Campion joined in, padding over to them. Greykit tilted her head, confused by what the two had meant. She had never heard of those things before from her mother.

"Great Pallas…" Queenie started, "A large and powerful leader from before Twolegs. He comes to those who have lived long and hunted well. He welcomes them to his hunting grounds where there is no hunger, no strife. No Twolegs. The forest are golden, the mountains are silver. The streams sparkle with starlight..." Queenie's voice faded out, and her eyes filled with sorrow. Greykit carefully turned, and pressed her nose to the elder's cheek. Recalling her from her thoughts.

"An' mah martyr." Campion drew her attention. He sat beside them, and looked down at the kit. He smiled, showing his teeth.

"Your mother?" Greykit asked.

"Nah' don't be daft. Martyr." Campion lightly swatted her ears with his paw. He barked, almost laughing like.

"Martyr was ah fox- just like me." he started. "Only he was all brown. Not ah speck of any other color. Good for hidin'.Trickster of all tricksters. The craftiest. The sneakiest. The most clever. He saves us todds and vixens from the dark- if yah get lucky enough."

"The dark?" Greykit echoed. Campion nodded, then added "Where yah go when yah stop runnin' n hunting for good." a chill went up Greykit's back. Neither of her friends mentioned anything like StarClan.

 _Would they not become stars as well? Is it because they have no clan?_

"Would yah like to come with me?" Campion asked, standing up on his paws. Greykit looked up at him.

"Where?" She asked.

"To see mah martyr."


	6. O' Martyr

_"Things will get worse before they get better. That's what I have come to known. It's not always easy to understand why the bad things happen to begin with, though. Some are fortunate to figure it out early on in their life. For me, I didn't realize it until I returned to the Clans. But by the time I realized it..."_

When the no-moon hit the sky, and the sun disappeared over the horizon, the duo left the safety of the Twoleg nest. Greykit followed behind Campion as they walked towards the funny smelling creek.

They paused by the water, looking all around before proceeding Campion stepped through it no trouble, Greykit carefully stepped on stones to reach the other side. Climbing uphill, they headed to a small woodland patch in front of them.

"Now wait here." Campion instructed. Greykit nodded and sat down on her hunches, looking up at her fox friend. Campion nodded back to her, before turning and trotting quickly to the nearby brush. There was silence for a long period, and then Campion came back through the brush. He held two voles hanging by the tail in his jaws.

Greykit licked her jaws excitingly, and jumped up to meet her friend. Campion lifted his head up higher, away from the kit and spoke out in a muffled voice "This ain' for yah." With a flick of his head, he motioned for the kit to stand and follow.

Again he turned to trot away, having Greykit run to keep up with him. They padded up through the brush and towards the trees. Greykit looked around, eyes wide and taking in her new surrounding.

Thick trees were nothing like what she remembered of FrostClan camp. Reeds and tall grass, puddles and a small pool of water at the center of camp. The ground was always soft beneath her paws there. But here, the ground was hard and covered with fallen twigs and dead leaves. They crunched loudly under her paws. Her fox friend was careful with making noise on the other hand, he carefully chose his steps in empty places where he would make soft footfalls. Disturbing only one leaf at a time.

They came to a stop beside a tall yet dead tree. The bark at the base had given away to show a hollow opening. The tree itself was slanted, yet supported by the ground and rocks that held the roots firmly.

Campion set the voles down next to Greykit, giving a stern stare. After a couple heart beats, he turned and began to sniff at the ground. Greykit perked her ears, watching her fox companion as he started to dig at the ground.

He didn't dig very deep, about two paw lengths. He stepped out of the hole, grabbing the voles carefully by the tail. To Greykit's surprise, he dropped them into the hole and quickly covered it using his tail to sweep the dit back in.

"Why did you do that?" Greykit asked as she leaned forward, sniffing the dirt. The smell of the voles had almost completely vanished under the damp soil.

"For the martyr." he said. He laid down, his paws resting over the hole. He tilted his head, motioning for Greykit to do the same. Cautiously, she laid beside her mentor and stretched out her small paws. Campion placed his paws over hers, pressing them lightly into the soil. She could feel the dirt slide against her pads. She dug her claws in.

"O' clever trickster, we leave yah with these here offerings. We ask yah to keep us swift on ah feet, an' keep hold of ah meat. To cover ah tracks, an' to nevah be hung by ah backs."

He paused, closing his eyes. Greykit watched for a moment, before she looked down at the dirt and closed her own. Her ears remained perked, listening. A long silence filled the air. Greykit couldn't help but peek out to see what would happen next.

"Psst, yah need to give ah prayer to the martyr. Yah just think it." He whispered, causing Greykit to jump slightly and snap her eyes shut again.

 _What am I supposed to think? Is he like Starclan?.. Am I supposed to ask for help, or am I supposed to tell him about me?... Maybe… he could help Campion and Queenie take me home?_

Campion opened his eyes and lifted his head. Greykit did the same waiting to see what happened next.

Campion pulled his paws back and stood. He shook out his pelt loose of any dirt and clumps that he got while on the ground.

"Is that it?" Greykit asked. Campion nodded, and then beckoned the kit with his tail. Greykit stood up, shaking her paws one at a time to remove the dirt. The duo turned away from the tree and began their walk back home.

Greykit followed Campion as they began to walk, though she looked back at the tree and the small mound of uneven dirt. Without warning she bumped into Campion as he came to a rough halt. Her nose collided with his back leg. She recoiled slightly, reaching up to rub her nose.

Greykit looked up at Campion, about to ask why he stopped when she noticed his fur. His red shoulder fur was beginning to rise up slowly, his legs becoming stiff. He looked forward, ignoring the kit. She followed his gaze and looked past him to see standing only a few bound-lengths away, stood another animal. Another fox.

This fox was smaller than Campion, but still larger than any cat Greykit had seen. It's fur wasn't the bright and brilliant red color either, it was a mixture of brown but mostly grey. His muzzle wasn't as long, and his head was just slightly more rounded.

"What a seit , a fox wi a kit?" it yapped out.

Greykit's ears flicked. His way of speaking was even harder for her to understand then Campion's funny way of talking. Campion on the other hand, seemed to have no trouble.

"She's ah companion of mine." Campion returned. His tail twitched slightly.

"A companion? a todd an' a cat a companion? yee sure she's neet a snack?" he asked, licking his jaws. Campion moved to step in front of her.

"Ey, the martyr's eyes shine down on her an' I." Campion replied back sternly. His ears were folded back. "Blood shall not be spilled tonight." He added.

"Ahm neet seekin any fash, an' neet ganin tuh upset the martyr. we's wud hev tuh be stumor tuh barney t'nyte." He yapped again, laughing and turning to the side. He began a swift bound toward the tree line, heading in the direction where the voles were buried. Greykit's ears still flicked as she tried to replay the strange sounding words in her head.

"What did he say?" She asked, looking up at Campion. He was watching the other fox bound away.

"He said he's ah not gonna fight. Called me daft." He said then added quickly "more or less." Campion began a quick trot again, Greykit following.

"He talked funny." She stated. Campion snorted, and smiled.

"Nye, lass. Yah the one who talk'n strange. All the todds an' vixens talk like him." he replied. They walked down the dry slope towards the odd smelling creek.

"I talk funny?" Greykit asked again, stepping over a dead log. She sniffed, and then asked again "Is it because we're different animals?"

Campion nodded. He jumped down into the water, causing a slight splash. Greykit followed on the stones. They crossed into the Twoleg area.

"Sometime soon, ah'll teach yah some.. "Fox speak" so yah can avoid scraps." Campion barked out as they reached their Twoleg nest. Greykit scampered forward and dove into the undercover of the nest, and ran over to the sleeping elder. Campion followed, letting out a slight yawn.

"But not tonight." He said as he sat down beside Queenie's right flank. Greykit climbed over Queenie's bushy tail, and curled up against her left flank and tail. She yawned as well, and laid against the elder. The events of tonight pushing back into her mind as sleep called her.


	7. Hunting

_"Things will get worse before they get better. That's what I have come to known. It's not always easy to understand why the bad things happen to begin with, though. Some are fortunate to figure it out early on in their life. For me, I didn't realize it until I returned to the Clans. But by the time I realized it...things had begun to spiral out of my control."_

Queenie's tongue drew over the back of Greykit's neck, pulling out any clumps of dirt and dust that may lay between the tangled fur. It was a daily ritual of their own now. And both pleasantly enjoyed it.

"Bones." Campion barked out, sitting across from the she-cats.

"Means a grave." Greykit answered, as the quiz continued. A quarter moon had passed since the night of the no-moon. Since then, Campion had begun his promise of teaching her "fox speak". Which, to Greykit's surprise was not the funny sounding words, but rather phrases that had double meanings. Something foxes respected. A code- but not like that of the Warrior code. No it was entirely different.

"Martyr's bones." Campion yapped again, laying down on his side in the patch of sunlight that broke through the small hole.

"Special grave- someone important." Greykit answered again, proudly. She smiled and puffed her chest. Campion snickered at her expression and drilled out another question.

"What do yah do if yah run into ah todd or vixen?" Campion flicked his tail, his grassy colored eyes watching her.

"Uh.." Greykit mewed, thinking. She could hear Queenie's chuckle behind her, no doubt the old elder knew these answers already.

"You...tell them something nice..?" Greykit hesitantly mewed out her answer. Campion blinked, and opened his mouth to speak but Queenie replied instead.

"You compliment them. You say something along the lines of "Vixen of the Grace. Todd of the clever. Show them some sort of acknowledgement."

Campion nodded in approval. The fox then stood, stretching out, his tail flicking in the air.

"Aye, lass… how 'bout yah help me with tonight's meal?" Campion asked, flexing out his claws briefly in his stretch.

Greykit's ears perked, her eyes gleamed. She nearly jumped out of Queenie's grasp- if the elder didn't have such a tight hold on her when she groomed.

"But.. I'm not an apprentice yet." Greykit replied honestly. Campion blinked, tilting his head a bit at the statement. He padded over and away from the sun beam.

"Yah mah apprentice." He replied back, almost questioningly. Greykit shook with excitement, as much as she wanted too, she knew it was a rule from the code. Her mother had once told her a pawful of rules then- though most were blips of words now in her memory… she couldn't remember much- but this one. This one her brothers and sister knew well.

"A kit must be at least six moons to become an apprentice. I'm only- almost three." she mewed, looking down at her paws which shuffled in the dirt.

"An that's fine. Fox cubs start learning to hunt at two moons an' ah half." Campion replied. He leaned down and pushed Greykit's shoulder with his nose, causing the old she-cat to finally let the kit go.

"We'll start off small." He yapped, and then began a light trot to the entrance. Greykit scampered after him, kicking up a bit of dust and dirt.

"What are we going to hunt for?" She asked, following the todd out of the hole in the fence. Campion only shrugged in response, looking both ways before taking off towards the creek and the reeds. Greykit ran after, trying her best to keep pace with her long legged friend and mentor.

"Ah think ah have the perfect job for yah." Campion said, running quickly up to a twisted maple tree. It's leaves had already begun to change according to the seasons. Greykit scampered up, and stopped at the base of the trunk. As she arrived, one of the leaves broke from a thin branch and drifted down to the floor below, landing beside the young charcoal kit. She blinked, looking at the leaf.

"It's becoming… as yah cat folk say, "leaf-fall"." Campion answered her unasked question. Greykit looked up at the leaves once more and nodded slightly, not really understanding. She would ask Queenie when they returned.

Campion sniffed the base of the tree for a moment, before looking back at Greykit and instructing "Climb the tree."

Greykit blinked, and looked to the bark. She never had climbed a tree before. She had no idea if she could even climb a tree.

 _FrostClan cats don't climb- they swim and slide across ice!_

"Well.. get to it." Campion yapped, nudging her with his snout. Greykit stepped forward slowly, setting her front left paw on the rough bark. She dug her tiny claws in and gave a tug to test. The bark did not peel, nor splinter under her. Perhaps she was just light enough that it would work.

Slowly and carefully, Greykit began her climb up the old maple tree. It was a slow climb, but thankfully Campion did not rush her.

"To the first branch?" She mewed, looking up. She could feel the fur on her her back beginning to rise. She hated heights. Campion nodded and circled the tree.

Greykit took another deep breath and scurried along, reaching the lowest branch- which was still quite high. It would take three fox lengths to reach her current height.

"Now stay right there." Campion commanded and began to trot away at a quick pace towards the reeds. As he reached the long stalks of grass, he called back 'Stay quiet lass, an' don't move!"

Greykit didn't nod in reply, but she heard him. Looking forward towards the length of the branch, she ignored the distance between her and the ground. She inhaled deeply, and decided it would be best to keep her eyes closed for the time being.

 _I don't see how this is supposed to be hunting. He just left me here!_

Furious yapping broke her thoughts, and forced her eyes open. She looked around quickly, gripping the branch with her claws. Some distance away, Campion was chasing a grey squirrel through the grassy patches. Campion chased it at an angle from its right side, keeping it away from the reeds and creek. The sly fox was steering the prey right towards the tree where Greykit sat.

The squirrel leaped onto the trunk of the tree and scurried up.

"Lass! Get it!" Campion barked in command, running up to the same tree. The squirrel hurtled itself towards her branch, and in that instant all Greykit could do was arch her back and puff out her tail. She wailed, and pressed herself into the bark. The squirrel jerked back, surprised by the sudden movement and noise. And in that instant, the tiny rodent fell back into the air, and right into the jaws of the waiting fox.

Greykit heard the loud CRUNCH as Campion delivered a swift killing bite to the spine. The animal lay limp in his jaws. And just like that, they had their meal. Campion dropped it only to pick it up by its tail. He shook the small creature a few times, testing its body. He then dropped it again at his paws and looked up.

"Aye, good job lass." He snickered a bit and licked his jaws. He then beckoned her to climb down with his tail, and picked up the prey again. Greykit forced herself to relax, and worked on her decent down the tree trunk.

"Is this usually how you catch food?" Greykit asked, sliding down and reaching the dirt below. Her legs shook lightly.

"Nye, todds an vixens can't climb well." He replied and then flexed out his paw for her to see. Greykit noticed it was much more narrow than hers, and his claws were not as thin. She nodded and looked up.

"How 'bout yah head over to that tree," he paused, and pointed with his raised paw to a thicker slightly bent tree down the way. "An' we see if we can get two." Greykit bounded up and took off running to the other tree. Her legs began to lose the stiff feeling- and with this one much lower to the ground she could already tell she-

Greykit turned around the trunk- only for claws to come within a mouse tail-length away from her eyes. She squeaked and jumped back, tumbling over her own paws and back into the dirt.

A old, raggedy black and white tom cat arched his back and spat at the kit. He was missing some patches of fur close to his tail, which seemed to be cropped short from some unknown accident of his past.

"Get lost!" He spat, standing on the tips of his feet, arching his back high and fur fluffed out. His dull green eyes were slits, focused on the trembling kit in front of him.

"This is my tree, you hear? My tree- my territory!" he spat, his vile breath stunk up the area. Greykit shoot and scrambled over. The ragged tom swiped again, almost striking Greykit for a second time.

"I-I'm sorry I didn't know!" Greykit mewed, keeping herself close to the ground, tail wrapped under her. She kept her ears flat, and her body low to the ground.

She heard the fast trot of Campion approaching behind her, and within a blink, the fox was in front of her. He screeched- an uncat like screech. It sounded loud, more like a bark then a cat wail. He kept his body low to the ground, but balled up, tail fluffed up and curled against his flank. His ears were back, and he bared his fangs.

Unlike her own stance, his curl was a sign of aggression instead of defense. Campion didn't swipe, bark or surge forward, he just screeched and yapped, making himself loud and clear. The tom bagged up, springing to his paws in alarm. He bounded back a few fox lengths and turned on his heels, he too now in a defensive position similar to Greykit. He hissed, ears back.

Suddenly Campion's tail shot up into the air and he darted forward, jaw still split showing off his sharp fangs. He charged head first towards the tom, who took no second thought to turn and run. He ran with an awkward limp, and Campion who was swift on his feet caught up to him.

Greykit recalled her memories of Driftleaf and Troutspot demonstrating some moves to her and her brothers. How there was distance between them, quick jabs and swipes. Carefully timed attacks and breaks. Campion did not fight with this.

The big fox tumbled into the lanky cat with full force, gripping his flank within his jaws and turning over, causing the two to roll. He would let go, but only briefly before blundering into the cat again. He did not use his paws or claws- at least not to do the initial attacks. He only used his legs to force himself forward and onto the tom. All his attacks came from his fangs, his weight and force. All the while his constant screeching didn't stop. He would throw his head twisting left and right, the skin of the tom caught between his teeth.

The tom screech in pain, and battered Campion with his back legs and front, though with being rolled over and over the cat could only twist and swipe once or twice to keep up. Finally though, Campion pushed too hard and the tom slipped out from under him in a roll. He yowled in retreat, blood oozing out from his side. He took off- the limp now worse than before. He wasted no time to launch his tired and battered body onto a maple tree leaning against a twoleg nest. He scaled the bark quickly, and fell onto the top of the twoleg nest. He panted, laying still for a second before he dragged himself over the center point, disappearing from view.

Campion's flanks heaved as he breathed heavily. He panted, his tail still up in the air with victory. After a moment of watching the top of the twoleg nest, he turned and did a light pace back to Greykit.

He said nothing, only nudged her side to make her stand. When she did, he began his quick pace again, back to the squirrel he had dropped. Judging by his expression, Greykit figured that today's hunting practice was over. Which, she wouldn't lie, she wasn't too disappointed in.

She had witnessed her first battle- like a true Warrior her… "clanmate" had fought to protect her and their territory. Their new claimed territory.

This fox would be her mentor, she decided. She would come back to her clan, to Frostclan as an already experienced apprentice.

 _They'll be so surprised_. Greykit thought, as she followed her mentor back to their nest. _They won't even recognize me!_


	8. Plans

_"Things will get worse before they get better. That's what I have come to known. It's not always easy to understand why the bad things happen to begin with, though. Some are fortunate to figure it out early on in their life. For me, I didn't realize it until I returned to the Clans. But by the time I realized it...things had begun to spiral out of my control._

 _I can still remember that day when my eyes were truly opened."_

"Again lass." Campion barked and ducked himself low to the ground. Greykit took large bounds and leaps forward and swiped at the fox- claws not out. She made quick and light jabs to Campion's shoulder and side, retreating before he could grab her with his jaws. He was going much slower than he actually could.

Greykit jumped back as Campion trotted after her. He came close, and then leaped up in the air springing off his back legs. He came down hard on his front paws in front of her, and she leaped back, tumbling over her own paws.

Greykit was still much too small to be doing these acrobatic like maneuvers. She was only three and a quarter moon old. Though her age didn't stop Campion from deciding she needed to know how to defend herself.

Queenie lay at the entrance, of the fence. It was a good day for her old bones, she could make it that far to watch them. She half watched, half played with the fallen leaves at her paws.

Campion leaped over Greykit and brushed her over with his paw. She tumbled over, only to scramble back up and launch herself at him. She hit his flank, and beat at his side. Unfortunately, for her lack of size all she did was make Campion step to the side slightly. He looked down at her and laughed.

"Nye, Twistah' " he started, and pushed her over with his paw. He sat down and curled his tail over his side. "Ah' much too big for yah to push on over."

"I should still try!" Greykit mewed and launched herself at his flank again, colliding. He didn't budge. He yapped though in laughter. He then followed up with "Take a break, lass." and laid down in the leaves.

Greykit panted lightly and fell down on her paws. She was already exhausted, and they had not been sparing for long. The sun had hardly traveled over the sky.

"See, ye need to test mah strength. Yah push'n against mah shoulder and ah do the same. Tell's yah how strong ah might be."

She lightly crunched a orange and yellow leaf between her paws mindlessly as she watched the clouds roll on by. She heard Campion speak, but she was much too exhausted to try it out. A bird passed by, high above and recalled her thoughts to something she had forgotten.

"Campion," she addressed the fox. He responded with a flick of his ears, and slight turn of his head.

"When can I go home?"

Campion turned fully to face the young kit. He pawed at the ground lightly, clawing at the earth and leaves with his nimble paws. He seemed to struggle for an answer, and looked away lost in thought.

"Ye can go now, if yah want." He said, his ears flicking. He then swiftly added "Ye can leave anytime yah wish. All ah can do tah' help is take yah back to the raa where that cursed flapper was."

"Raa?- To the thunderpath?" Greykit echoed in dismay. She felt her heart sink in her chest. The thunderpath is the place to start, yes. But she knew nothing about the dangers that lay beyond it or what direction to even go in. Or even, what thunderpath. There was many around here. All she could remember was a blur of trees and grass. Colors, sights and sounds that melded into one at the time as she had been whisked away by the bird.

Almost as if the fox could hear her thoughts, he said "non' to mention yee just a kit." Greykit's ears folded back.

"Now now," Queenie spoke up from her spot by the twoleg fence. She licked one of her paws and drew it over her ear.

"So maybe Campion won't take you past the flat rock path" Queenie started, setting down her paw. "But after a little while I'm confident you could make it on your own. Maybe not now but… perhaps after leaf-bare? By then you will be the age of an "apprentice"... and perhaps Campion will have taught you some things by then… and maybe the ol' trickster will have reconsidered about how far he would take you."

Greykit looked up, a new hope glimmering in her eyes. She didn't know how long leaf-fall was, or leaf-bare, but the age of an apprentice was six moons. She was already three. Therefore, she figured, it wouldn't be long before she returned home. And as Queenie said, she would know more by then.

"Alright." Greykit responded quietly. Campion stretched out his legs and then shook his shoulders.

"How 'bout ah show yah how to get the drop on yah prey?" Campion asked then quickly added "Foe 'n prey alike."

Greykit perked her ears and nodded. She folded her paws underneath her and looked forward, ready to learn another lesson for the day.

 **Sorry for the short chapter, I've just finished finals so I can get back on track and follow through with the plan I wrote for this story. I think I should make it clear, that Greykit will be returning to the clans. Just going to be a littl' bit before we get to that point.**


	9. Leaf-Bare

_"Things will get worse before they get better. That's what I have come to known. It's not always easy to understand why the bad things happen to begin with, though. Some are fortunate to figure it out early on in their life. For me, I didn't realize it until I returned to the Clans. But by the time I realized it...things had begun to spiral out of my control._

 _I can still remember that day when my eyes were truly opened. When the world opened up and showed how truly wicked it could be."_

Greykit awoke with a cold sensation touching her nose. Her eyes blinked open to find nothing there, yet the cold sensation remained. Her nose twitched as she raised her head up and looked around.

She lay between Campion and Queenie, who both lay still and fast asleep. She breathed out in a huff- and was surprised when she saw her breath form in front of her and fade into the air. In that moment, she shivered, suddenly quite aware of how cold she had become.

She withdrew closer to Queenie, pressing into the elder's side to retain the warmth she had lost. Her movements awoke the old she-cat, who yawned, stretched and then lifted her head up slightly.

She let out a tired and rattled growl of disgust, and shifted her weight closer to Campion. Greykit quickly found herself squished between the two grown-ups… yet she couldn't complain too much. It was significantly warmer now, and softer.

Campion's ears twitched as he turned to look at the two she-cats next to him. He blinked a few times before looking forward towards the hole in the fence where the light came through. Something else did as well. It was small, and it drifted with the cold breeze landing inside. Greykit watched with curiosity as the object landed on the ground and vanished.

"That's not good at all." Queenie mewed out. She again shifted her weight on her paws and watched as more white spots drifted in through the hole.

"Early leaf-bare." Campion added, folding his tail over his back paws. Greykit looked to the both of them waiting for an explanation. Queenie must have saw her curious expression because she decided to answer the unasked question.

"It's snow- Campion take her out to see it."

"Snow?"

"M'kay." Campion arose and stretched out. He let out a yawn and stretched each leg individually.

"Follow me lass." He spoke through the yawn and trotted over the cold earth to the hole. Greykit bounded up, but paused before she sprang to follow him. Her shoulder was aching slightly, stiff from the night's sleep. She shook it out, flicking her paw in the air. After a moment, she quickly followed the fox to the entrance. Campion stopped at the entrance and awaited for Greykit to stop beside him.

Greykit looked out, and gasped. Everything was covered in a thick sheet of glittering white. It drifted from the skies above- which had equally turned white to reflect it's blank color. The drift covered the trees, the twoleg nest, the plants, the earth… everything.

"This is snow?"

Campion nodded. Then without warning he picked the young kit up by the scruff and tossed her forward into the wind mound.

Greykit squeaked as she felt her body get swallowed up by the snow. She sank in deep, and cold surrounded her. She flailed her paws and battered up a puff of white around her. She stood, her head barley over the bank of the snow.

Campion padded towards her, sinking in the snow with each step. Though due to his size only his belly fur was grazing the top of the cold surface. He laughed out a yap and took a large leap to land beside her. His landing stirred up more snow as it splashed over her like water.

"Hey!" She yelled and bat some snow back in his direction- but the todd was to fast. He leaped and ducked down into the snow away from her. He turned and ran- only to leap up. His sprung up like a rabbit on his back legs and came down hard with his front, snow flying up everywhere and covering the small kit in another wave.

She tried to dive out of the way, but the snow was over her in a second. She mewed- and laughed. Despite being cold, she couldn't remember having this much fun. She briefly wondered if it has snowed in Frostclan yet.

Greykit leaped forward, only to get swallowed up in the snow once again. Campion shook his head, laughing before he leaned forward and picked her up by the scruff. With his head held high, he walked through the snow and back to the twoleg nest. He stepped back onto the dry cold earth and set Greykit down gently.

The pair were now covered in small white glistening crystals that covered them from head to tail. Though, that was quite alright. Neither were bothered.

Greykit's ears flicked as she heard her own stomach grumble out. Campion must have heard it too because he looked down at her then over at Queenie, who still laid among the soft twoleg things.

"Suppose ah should get to findin' something to munch on." He said. The old she-cat nodded in response, almost seeming annoyed that he even had to ask. The fox stood and shook the snow off his back before taking a leap outside again. Greykit blinked a bit, surprised that he did not ask for her help this time around. Four moons was surly old enough to help with the small things, right?

"Hey.. Greykit come here." Queenie called to her. Greykit perked her ears and did as she was told. She ran back to the elder and stood in front of the old pallas.

"Now heed what I say." She began, her eyes strangly focused on the air between them. She seemed lost in thought, almost as if she couldn't see Greykit in front of her.

"Snow may be fun, but leaf-bare is not a laughing matter."

"Why? What's wrong with it?" Greykit asked, tilting her head. Queenie arose to sit on her hunches. Her whiskers twitched.

"Cold, darkness. Hunger." She looked down at Greykit. Her claws dug at the earth, tearing up clumps of dirt.

"You are so young and new to the world, and you have the fortune of being with one of the best providers I know. Campion will not let us starve, he will not let you freeze. I have known him for moons now, several seasons. Ever since he was a young cub. He is clever, and will do what he needs to make sure we are okay… and in turn we must do what we can to survive."

"Queenie…" Greykit started but the old cat shushed her.

"I pray to the great pallas that you will not have to know the desperation that he and I have gone through before. But in these cold leaf-bares it is unpredictable. A time may come where you will have to make a hard choice… a very difficult one that goes against many of our fine laws and natures."

Greykit only nodded along, confused and fearful of the importance in her elder's voice. She spoke in circles, making it difficult to understand what it was exactly Greykit had to do. What choices she would have to make.

"Listen and listen well." Queenie spoke louder, her voice penetrating the thoughts of the kit. She stared down, her amber eyes glistening in the dim light. Sorrow and strength all in one filled them, along with some memories Greykit would never know.

"Survive, thrive. Grow strong, grow old. You are young, and this world will either make you or break you. It will mold you into the great…" she paused and chose her next words carefully. "... into a great Warrior of your own kind. We will all make it through this Leaf-bare with warm hearts, and full bellies. But you must trust in those who care for you. Your clanmates. Campion and I. We will not let you starve. _You will not starve._ "

Greykit nodded once again, as if she understood all the importance. The words were dged into her brain now though. She would not starve, she would be okay. Her clan was small, it only consisted of a Warrior, an Elder and a kit. But that's alright. The elder, the one who was filled with wisdom had promised her that she would be okay. They all would be okay.

…

That very sundown, Campion returned with nothing.


	10. Do What You Must

_"Things will get worse before they get better. That's what I have come to known. It's not always easy to understand why the bad things happen to begin with, though. Some are fortunate to figure it out early on in their life. For me, I didn't realize it until I returned to the Clans. But by the time I realized it...things had begun to spiral out of my control._

 _I can still remember that day when my eyes were truly opened. When the world opened up and showed how truly wicked it could be. I was so young then."_

To say she was unprepared would be an understatement. The snow had started to melt the following day, giving Campion just enough time to slip out and catch a skinny hare- it too, struggling to feed itself through the sudden onslaught of snow.

But it only stayed melted for a few days. And that was a half moon ago.

Greykit sat at the entrance of their rapidly cooling den, Queenie laying amonst the twoleg things. She was coughing lightly- the cold air probably did her old body no good.

Outside the snow continued to fall late into the evening. It should have still been light out, but with the thick grey clouds of ice overhead, it was nearly dark as moon-high. Campion had left sometime earlier in the day again.

Greykit's whiskers twitched with each touch of the falling snow. She sneezed lightly as a flake landed on her nose. She padded with her paw to the melted spot before backing up a few paces, further inside.

Queenie lay curled up into a tight ball. With her large untamed fluff she looked like dust ball. Though with each cough she shook lightly.

"I wish it would get warmer soon. That cough doesn't sound good." Greykit called from the opening. Queenie only snorted in response, scowling a bit before another cough escaped her.

"Snow weather." The elder couched out. She shifted on her paws and turned around, her behind now facing the young kit. She was in a cranky mood, so Greykit decided it was best to keep her thoughts to herself today.

The young kit looked back outside to the fast approaching night. The snow fall seemed to be thinning, though there seemed to be no chance of the current temperature staying where it was. It would certainly get cold tonight.

 _I hope Campion is okay._

Almost as if her thoughts were a magnet, the todd trotted over the horizon. In the dark, his brilliant red color could be mistaken for a dark brown, but either way against the snow he stood out like a birch tree between maples.

As he drew closer, Greykit could make out something in his jaws. It's shape unfamiliar to her- but it was something alright. A wave of relief washed over Greykit at this thought.

Despite Queenie's important lesson not to long ago, Greykit had really begun to understand what hunger felt like. Yes, before she had been hungry- but she had never been starving. The adults did well in caring for her though- she could not deny this.

With every meal- no matter how small she would get her fill first, and the elders would split. At first Greykit didn't pick up on this ritual- but by the third measly mole she caught onto it, and paced herself to eat less so they would have more.

Campion trotted over the last of the small slopes and made a quick dash for the entrance. He entered, nearly stepping over Greykit. She yelped in surprise by the carelessness of her mentor.

Campion dropped what he was holding and called out "Ey Queenie." Greykit turned on her paws and bounded over with two quick hops, landing beside what Campion had managed to find.

"What?" Queenie meowed, keeping her backside facing the other two. Greykit padded around Campion's paws and sniffed the strange...thing.

It was twoleg made, a clear wrapping of sorts with streaks of red and blue on the front. Greykit could make out something within the wrap.

"Ah' went an dug around the Tall Hunter rubbish… it ain't much but…" his voice trailed off as he pulled back the clear wrapping with his paw showing what was contained inside.

Whatever it was, Greykit stepped back. Her nose wrinkled at the slightly sour and bitter smell it ammited. The 'food' Campion had brought back had gone bad and turned into Crowfood.

Queenie must have smelled it from where she sat as well because her ears flattened- more so then they already are. She hissed and peered over her shoulder, her eyes gleaming with annoyance and anger only an elder could express.

"You want me to eat carrion-scraps?" she snapped. Campion raised his head, forcing back a bark in his throat. He stamped at the ground with his front left paw- nearly hitting the pile of rotten twoleg scraps.

"There ain't nothin' out there. The flappers an the coyotes pickin' up all the good stuff- not to mention there be another todd runnin' an skippin' about. An those cats past the raa chasing off anyone who has a second thought about stepping over." Campion barked and growled. Greykit stepped back away from the bickering elders. She wouldn't interject, but at the moment she couldn't care less what she ate- as long as she could eat it.

 _With all the worry Queenie was making the other day, I don't see why she is being picky- I mean, Campion's ribs are starting to show!_

Greykit was also quite sure Queenie's ribs would be visible under that mass of fur by now- and she could recall the nights she slept up against the elder's flank, listening to the groans of hunger pains that jabbed at the sleeping pallas.

"What about…" Queenie started but stopped. "Nevermind." She turned her head away.

The tension snapped like a twig, a new atmosphere replaced the aggressive feelings the adults had. There was a long silence- so Greykit decided to break it.

"What about what?" She echoed, looking up to her mother-like figure. Queenie's whiskers and nose twitched. She turned back to face the fence. Her front paws clawed at the ground lightly. After another long and suspense filled silence Campion spoke.

"It be your call, Queenie."

"It's too early in the season." The pallas responded, her paws still nervously kneading the earth in front of her.

"The snow an' the cold don't care that it's early in the season." the fox resorted. Greykit tried to follow along to the elders deliberate over their next move, though they spoke so vague that the young kit had a hard time understanding. Why couldn't they be straight forward? What didn't they want her to know?

Queenie took a deep breath, fighting back the coughing fit that lay within her. She shook herself once before she looked back to her dear friend.

"Do what you must."

Campion bent down and picked up the twoleg clear object, containing the rotten food and arose. He shook out his back legs and prepared for another journey out. He reached the exit and dropped the mess at his paws.

"Lass come with me."

The kit and the elder both perked their ears. Greykit leaped up and over to her mentor's side, her tail held high in the air and a smile on her face.

"Do you need help?" She asked. The todd nodded and without another word picked up the messy twoleg crowfood bundle. He stepped outside and started on his way, carving a path out of the snow for Greykit to follow through. As she left she thought she could hear Queenie muttering out something under her breath… but she wouldn't know. Her voice was cut off by the coughing fit she had been holding in for a while.

…

Campion and Greykit did not walk far. In fact only a few twoleg nest over.

They arrived in a familiar area. A place where Greykit recalled much and early practice in her combat abilities- which was mostly her trying to knock Campion over with no avail. She smiled at these memories, and in all honesty could not wait to New-Leaf. She would be bigger then. And perhaps she could managed to at least budge the fox over a few mouse lengths.

Campion raised his tail to stop Greykit in her tracks. Greykit did as she was commanded and watched as her mentor did a light and swift trot to a twisted tree that hang low to the ground. He reached the base, and dropped the twoleg crowfood. Carefully with his front left paw he peeled back the cover and let the crowfood be exposed to the world.

Campion looked back, and called out to Greykit "Walk in mah pawsteps."

She nodded, and began to take very careful and wide steps. She moved slowly- there was so much distance in Campion's steps that she was afraid she would fall from losing her balance. But with careful determination, she reached her mentors side without disrupting or leaving any paw prints.

When she reached him, she felt her scruff being grabbed. She was lifted up and over the crowfood against the tree.

"Climb." He yapped out, his voice muffled through her fur. Greykit swung her body slightly and grasped the bark between her claws. She heaved herself up and felt Campion let go of her scruff.

"How high?" She mewed as she reached the first low hanging branch. Campion tilted his head, examining the tree before he answered.

"Ah… 'bout another leap up." He called. Greykit looked up to the branch above her and leaped- nearly slipping on the surprisingly icy surface. She wrapped her paws around the side of the branch and held it firmly in her grasp. She looked down at her mentor who gave her a quick nod of approval, his comforting smirk on his face.

"Beautiful lil' twistah'." He complimented her, and then turned to walk to the funny smelling creek- which had now frozen over. He slipped into the reeds which had turned yellow and brown by the cold. His red pelt seemed to be covered perfectly by them.

 _I hope there is squirrels out._ Greykit thought to herself as she felt the last of the snowflakes fall upon her head. She looked up at the grey clouds overhead. No longer spitting out more snow- but still thick as ever.

Eventually she felt herself drift off into another time and place- her sleep. She couldn't recall when she had closed her eyes, or what had compelled her to fall asleep. Perhaps being cold had done it- but no matter. The soft crunching of snow pulled her from the cold sleep.

She blinked once, twice… and suppress a yawn. She expected to hear Campion recall her from her post, the footfalls belonging to him. But to her surprise when she looked down, she did not see his brilliant red color anywhere. Instead she saw a familiar- yet very skinny shape and color of a black and white pelt.

The old tom with the short cropped tail and patchy fur had arrived. Greykit gulped, and pressed herself into the branch. This was his tree. The one he had taken swings at her to defend.

The old tom cat was hesitant. He looked all around him as he took slow and careful steps from around the side of the twoleg nest and over to the twisted tree Greykit sat in. The crowfood still lay under the branches, shielded from the snow and exposed to all.

To a tom cat like him, or any creature that seemed so lanky and skinny, it must have smelled as alluring as a fat pigeon. Greykit could see his ribs- his bony cheeks and shoulders. He had no twoleg owners, he had no clan. He was alone, and alone in leaf-bare was difficult.

A pang of sympathy hit the young kit. How could she and her clanmates have been so picky with their food when cats were withering away to nothing on their own?

The tom had seemed to have forgotten to check his surroundings as he hunched down and began to nip at the crowfood. Or at least it started as a nip. Within heartbeats he was scarfing down the mess with quick and large bites. He seemed so focused on the food that he did not noticed Campion emerging from the same path that he did.

Greykit blinked in surprise and turned back to look at the reeds- then back at her mentor. He must have traveled over the ice to avoid rustling the plants.

 _But what was he doing now? Perhaps he was going to chase the longer away?_

Greykit leaned forward slightly, disturbing snow on the branch and having it fall below. The small pile was enough to alert the tom for he stopped gorging himself and looked up. They're eyes made contact.

"You?" He yeowled up. He only looked at her for a moment before he turned to examine the area around him. And that's when he and Campion made eye-contact.

Like a startled bird he took off- a white streak in the sea of snow.

"Lass- after him!" Campion barked out his command and took off in long bounds. Greykit dropped from the branch and landed in the snow- which she quickly regretted. The soft ground messed up her ability to land, and a sharp pain traveled up to her old wound. She would ignore it for now.

She took off running in the path left by the other two. The tom struggled to keep his bounds in rhythm as the snow tripped him up. But he still ran with his ears pinned and his fur spiked. He screeched a warning out to the cold night air as he kicked up a snowstorm behind his leaps and bounds.

Campion panted as he followed, though he did not struggle through the snow due to his longer legs. He was built for this. And yet, he seemed to be pacing himself.

Now Greykit, she struggled through. Her bounds and leaps shook her body as she tried desperately to keep up with her mentor. She was small- her legs were short. And the snow was thick. They were disappearing out of view as a slope arose in front of them.

"W-wait!" Greykit called to Campion as she surged forward, still fighting the snow. The adults reached the incline and the true struggling began. The tom forced himself up, slipping on the mounds. Campion leaped in a great bound and landed only a fox length behind the tom. He barked and yipped, snapping and screeching in his strange fox-noises. He snapped- he barked. He snapped again. And again. The fourth snap he bit ahold of the tom's outstretched hind leg.

Campion pulled him back and bit ahold of the back bone hard- Greykit thought she could hear a crunch. Though through her panting and the noises- and now the ringing of her left ear once again she couldn't be quite sure.

The tom cried out and spun on his backside. He scratched and battered at Campion's face furiously causing the todd to let go. Campion slid back, the snow underneath him giving away. He tumbled over, slipping past Greykit and down to the lower ends of the incline.

The tom took this chance and turned to climb up the rest of the way, leaving a crimson streak in the snow behind him.

"Don't let 'em go!" She could hear Campion yell from the bottom as he recovered.

Greykit's eyes widened. She jumped into the moved snow Campion's rolling form had left, and climbed up. Her claws hooking into the earth and flattened grass.

The tom disappeared over the top of the hill. Greykit continued on and in a few heart beats also reached the top of the hill. The tom had already slid down the other side and was now hobbling up. He looked back, his eyes fearful when he saw her.

"Please.. Have mercy I didn't know it was your food!" He cried out. He still backed up, his back arched and tail between his legs. His bleeding leg lay lame under him, and dragged through the snow which melted under the warm blood.

"I can make it up to you- I can find something for you! You can have the tree- all of my territory I'll go. I'll-"

Campion made it up and beside Greykit. The sight of the fox sent a new wave of terror through the ragged tom. He yeowled and turned on his heels. He darted out, running onto the snow covered thunderpath.

Greykit bunched her muscles to jump forward but Campion suddenly held her down with his body. Greykit was pinned down into the snow, the weight of her mentor kept her down.

"Hey what are you..!" Greykit started, meowing out in confusion but the roaring of something great filled her ears. It was not the ringing, the sound did not come from her mind. Her head spun around as a large and great red monster roared on by. It's thunderous black paws and glowing eyes left streaks as it tore over the thunderpath. It didn't slow down as it passed, it didn't even hesitate to mow down the struggling tom who had only made it a third of the way across the path.

Greykit heard the 'thunk" and the "crunch" merged together into a sound she could not describe. But she could definitely make out the sloppy wet noise the tom's body made as it was knocked back onto the edge of the thunderpath and into the snow. One of his legs seemed to twitch as it stuck up in the air at such a weird angle, but besides that… there was no cry. No sound from the bloody mess that now lay before her eyes.

Her mouth hung out in horror, her voice escaped her throat. He was dead. The monster killed him.

"W-wh…" Greykit started but her voice seemed to get swallowed into the pit of her stomach. Her eyes were frozen on the mess of the cat that had only wanted something to eat, who meant no harm.

Campion released Greykit from his pin and stood up next to her. His fur blew in the light breeze. He himself seemed unphased by what had just unfolded in front of the pair.

"We do what we must." he spoke out clearly and softly. He didn't look at her. His ears just flicked once before he started down the slope and over to the mangled body of his winter prey.


	11. The Hunter's Choice

_"Things will get worse before they get better. That's what I have come to known. It's not always easy to understand why the bad things happen to begin with, though. Some are fortunate to figure it out early on in their life. For me, I didn't realize it until I returned to the Clans. But by the time I realized it...things had begun to spiral out of my control._

 _I can still remember that day when my eyes were truly opened. When the world opened up and showed how truly wicked it could be. I was so young then. So impressionable."_

The moon was beginning it's decent across the night sky hidden behind the thick grey clouds that covered the sky like a never ending blanket. Greykit could only take a guess at what the time was- if she cared.

The young feline bundled up into a tight ball outside the fence, pressed up against the house where the snow had been shielded by the roof which pointed out. It wasn't much of a relief, she was shaking horribly. Her tiny body losing it's inner heat moment by moment. She could have gone inside to warm up, but she refused to. She didn't want to be anywhere near the.. Thing they brought back.

She referred to it as a thing because it was no longer identified as a cat, the twoleg monster had done more damage then she initially thought. An entire section flattened.

Greykit flinched and forced her eyes open to focus on the snow, she didn't want that image to be burned into her mind. Despite how horrible the experience was, the death by monster was not the most bone chilling action to have happened before her.

She recalled what had happened only hours before.

Campion had made sure to carefully tug the body back away from the thunderpath and to the slope side. The todd had a little trouble finding a good hold that did not result in an utter mess of blood and fur.

When he eventually got ahold of some form of loose skin he didn't try to climb back up the incline. Instead he dragged it parallel to the hill and to a small stream forming out of a twoleg tunnel that ran under the thunderpath.

Campion had stepped into it and stood for a long while letting the body be half submerged in the water. The blood drifting out and flowing downstream.

"W-what are you doing?" Greykit had called from the slope top. She never did end up moving from her spot.

The fox sniffed and set the body down half on the bank, half in the water. He licked his jaws cleaning his gums and teeth of blood and fur.

"Lettin' the blood drain.. And the smell. Lass thing we need is a trail back." he had answered truthfully and then resumed the exsanguination. From there, Greykit recalled how her mentor had walked in the water which filtered into the funny smelling creek. The body was half dragged half floated down by the water stream, making the carrying easy and the trail almost completely gone.

But that was hours ago.

So now Greykit sat outside, alone. Her shivering becoming worse by the moment, her growling pains wracking her tiny body. She was cold, it was dark, and she was hungry.

" _Cold, darkness. Hunger."_ Queenie's warning had echoed in her head. She forced her eyes closed again, and covered her head with her paws. The elder's words still ebbed its way into her mind.

" _I pray to the great pallas that you will not have to know the desperation that he and I have gone through before."_

"Stop it." Greykit commanded her head. She pawed at her ears and took in a sharp breath.

" _A time may come where you will have to make a hard choice… a very difficult one that goes against many of our fine laws and natures."_

Greykit shook her head vigorously. Queenie had tried to warn her- to prepare her. But not all the words in the world could prepare her for what she had witnessed hours before.

There was footfalls behind her. Greykit tensed, she knew it was Campion. Coming to persuade her to come inside. She puffed her chest, and flattened her ears. When the sounds were just a mouse length behind her she turned to confront the todd, to tell him no once again.

To her surprise, it was Queenie.

The old elder had used whatever reserved strength she had to leave the comfort of her twoleg bedding and approach the young kit. Greykit's sudden burst of anger towards her mentor had been trickled down away into surprise and worry at the sight of the old queen.

"You should be inside." Greykit found herself saying. She curled her tail over her paws and retreated into her tight ball.

"So should you." The elder resorted. A sickly sweet smell wafered off from her voice- Greykit knew what it was from.. And she recognized it. From their first meeting. The day she came into Queenie's grasp as a small and damaged kitten. The thought of her being prey began to creep up the back of her mind, but she forced it back down as the old elder lay down on her hunches in the snow. Hre wild and untamed fur blew in the winter breeze, catching the light drifts of snow crystals.

"I don't want to go in there right now." Greykit confessed and looked away. She focused on a rock, trying hard to keep her gaze away from Queenie who hovered over her shoulder.

"You'll catch your death out here." Queenie mewed out. Greykit's ears flattened, she had no response.

The elder sighed, and padded Greykit's shoulder gently with her paw. There was a long following silence between the two before Greykit managed to sum up her next thoughts.

"I don't understand…" she started, but the remaining words seemed to be swept up by the winter wind. How could she even begin to ask the reasons as to why this had happened?

"We do what we must." Queenie echoed the words Greykit tried hard not to remember. The young kit's ears flicked in response to the elder, but nothing was said.

"It is.. Quite hard to take in, isn't it?... Perhaps not for Campion, a fox's prey is wider scale then that of you or I… but if your going to survive out here in the cold, without the comfort of a twoleg home or the protection of your large "clan" then.." Queenie paused, she leaned and licked behind Greykit's left ear.

"It seems wrong though." Greykit mewed out. She huffed and pulled her legs in closer. It was getting colder. Her paws were freezing.

"Hunt or be hunted." Queenie roughly mewed out, followed by a sneeze. She drew her tongue over her muzzle and then added "The Great pallas has given us a gift, every one of us. The gift of the hunter."

Greykit looked up, her eyes now fixated on the elder as she began her tale.

"Every animal has a hunter, even the creatures as small as our paws… or great as oak trees. Our hunters lead us, they help us survive and thrive. Every species hunter has a voice." Queenie tapped Greykit's head gently with her front left paw.

"Some speak louder than others. And we must decide if we wish to silence our hunter, the drive to survive… or do we listen with open ears and minds-" the elder broke out coughing. She wheezed, her old breath escaping her. The cold did her no good, it pierced the elder's lungs with the icy wind.

She need not to continue. Greykit knew the direction of this lesson was going. With a heavy sigh she forced her legs to push her up. Queenie found a moment of rest between her coughing and watched as Greykit stood.

"Let's go inside Queenie." Greykit mewed quietly and nosed the elder's side gently. Queenie held her gaze for a moment before she too stood up on her old and shaky legs.

Campion sat by the entrance, his eyes glowing with the reflected light of the snow. In his jaws he held some chunk of red dripping meat. Hot steam rolled off of it, or perhaps that was his breath. Greykit couldn't tell. Perhaps it was best not to think about it.

With hesitant steps, the young and impressionable kitten followed her clanmate back into the under of the Twoleg nest. Where a nice dry nest waited for her.

And a warm meal.


	12. The Rat

_"Things will get worse before they get better. That's what I have come to known. It's not always easy to understand why the bad things happen to begin with, though. Some are fortunate to figure it out early on in their life. For me, I didn't realize it until I returned to the Clans. But by the time I realized it...things had begun to spiral out of my control._

 _I can still remember that day when my eyes were truly opened. When the world opened up and showed how truly wicked it could be. I was so young then. So impressionable. The moment I began to change wasn't contained into one single day or hour."_

It was only a few hours till dawn. The last snowflakes had fallen and settled on the cold earth, completing the blanket of snow that covered the camp. It outlined every unusual curve and bend of the twoleg rubbish that stuck out in all directions forming a barrier. The cold reflective surfaces that did peek through only mirrored the coat of white, giving it that beautiful starlight shine.

The soft breath of the calico tabby filled the cold night air, her wide green eyes looking to the clouded skies above. There was such a still silence in the air that she could hear her own heartbeat in her ears.

 _Why am I awake?_ She wondered. She could not remember rising from her nest, and parting ways from the apprentice who slept beside her. She did not remember padding outside into the cool night air, and there was no tracks leading from her den to clearing.

The calico examined her surroundings and found she could not smell any trace of her classmates. She did not hear the snoring that came from the Warrior's den or the soft mews of the newborn kits from the Queen's circle.

 _This must be a dream_. She told herself.

A sudden scurry caught her attention. A rat squeezing itself out of a hole in the twoleg rubbish on the far west side of the camp. It threw itself out in the snow, landing with a soft plop. Almost as if she had no control of her body, she ducked down into a crouch. She stepped forward, leaving no tracks in the snow. Silent, a shadow moving within the night.

As she drew closer the rat became still, sniffing the air. It's long and greasy whiskers twitching. Without warning a second rat emerged from under the snow, sinking it's square and sharp fangs deep into the throat of the first rat. A loud screech of death escaped the dying rat as it fell under the newcomer.

The calico stepped back, hissing and spitting. The second rat held it's brethren within it's tiny jaws and looked to the calico. Its beady red eyes locked on her green. It did not move, yet it's form began to bubble like a dark swirling mass. It was growing, a foul stench forming. The normal rat that hung from it's jaws seemed to be fading into the night, its faint trace only marked by the few drops of blood on the snow.

The calico cat arched her back and screeched as the monster arose in front of her. A dark unidentifiable mass of fur and claws. It was no longer the size of a rat, but nearly double the size of her own. It growled in a noise she had never heard with her own ears, yet it sounded familiar all in the same time.

It leaped, fangs bared and long legs outstretched. The calico cat forced her eyes open the moment the fangs made contact.

She jumped up and out of her nest, her fur on end and claws batting the air.

"Smokepath!?" the young apprentice who had been sleeping next to her cried out in shock as her mentor wrestled with the air.

Smokepath blinked several times, finding her body fall still as she realized where she was. Back in her den, back among the herbs and cobwebs. Next to Nettlepaw who mewed worryingly.

"I..I'm fine." Smokepath meowed. She sat down in her now scattered nest scraps and pulled her paws in close. Nettlepaw almost instantly began to smooth the fur on her mentor's neck, offering a warming and comforting purr.

"It was just a nightmare." she lied. Her body still shook with terror at the thought of that black bubbling monster getting ahold of her. She huffed several times, calming her heartbeat and laid her head back down on her paws.

"Go back to sleep." She commanded to her apprentice. Nettlepaw looked hesitant to do so, obviously wanting to know what troubled her mentor so much. But with reluctance, she laid her head down onto her mentor's flank and forced her eyes closed.

Smokepath kept her eyes wide open. She could not sleep, she dared not to. For how could she, when the stars above had given her such an important message? An omen?

 _I must tell Doublestar tomorrow… something terrible is coming!_

…

Greykit had not gotten much sleep. She had thought for a moment that she had drifted off but she again woke to her starving stomach which poked and prodded at her body like sharp claws. In front of her lay a now cold and hardening piece of meat torn away from the carcass. Campion had been gracious enough to have hidden the body from view. Though it did not help much with her conscious.

She mulled the thoughts over in her head several times. The pros and cons of what she would gain from doing what Queenie and Campion had done with ease. The thought had once or twice made her queasy, though she knew she would spit nothing up. There was nothing in her stomach for her to do so.

 _What would my clan think of me?_ She wondered to herself. The very thought made her eyes misty. There was no code against this, but surely there had never been a need to make this unwritten law a written one? Her eyes drifted up from the slab of meat in front of her to the companions that slept- or pretended to sleep a little aways from her. She knew Queenie was asleep, perhaps a very light sleep. But Campion was well awake. He snores lightly when he sleeps. So his still form and closed eyes were a lie. He was waiting.

A sudden thought ebbed its way into her head. She had tried several times to shove it out completely but it always came back, scratching at her skull.

 _If I don't eat I will starve. I will die. And I will never see FrostClan again. I will never see mother again. I will never see my siblings again- I will never become a Warrior!_

She bit her lower lip and pressed her head into her paws.

 _If it's only once… no one has to know._

Hesitantly she reached out with a shaky paw, extending her tiny claws and hooking into the cold mushy mound. A moment frozen as she took a breath, and closed her eyes. Very slowly she pulled the mound closer.


End file.
